Pulse or digital communications – Systems using alternating or pulsating current – Plural channels for transmission of a single pulse train
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-05
2003-03-11
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2676)
Pulse or digital communications
Systems using alternating or pulsating current
Plural channels for transmission of a single pulse train
C375S358000, C725S115000, C725S116000, C725S139000, C725S143000, C348S554000, C348S467000, C348S484000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06532269
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a data transmitter, a data receiver, a processor, a unit controller, a unit control system, a data transmission/reception system, and a medium for, for example, transmitting or receiving data and controlling operations of units.
BACKGROUND ART
It is generally known that digital video data and digital audio data are the data having a large redundancy. Therefore, digital video data and digital audio data are encoded to reduce the redundancy of them and then, recorded or transmitted. Digital video data and digital audio data are encoded at the transmission side and then transmitted, and decoded at the reception side.
Thus, by encoding digital video and digital audio data and then transmitting them, it is possible to effectively use the capacity and bandwidth of a transmission medium.
An MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) is one of the methods for encoding digital video data and digital audio data. The MPEG includes MPEG1 such as a CD-ROM for recording data in an accumulation medium at a low rate and MPEG2 for realizing a high picture quality capable of withstanding broadcasting and corresponding to different screen sizes.
A DV is also practically used which uses an encoding method different from the MPEG as a household digital VCR.
Thus, to record video data and audio data according to different encoding methods in a recorder and transmit them through the same transmission medium, the identification information for identifying encoding methods is recorded and transmitted together with encoded video data and audio data. This identification information makes it possible to select a proper decoding method out of a plurality of decoding methods when reproducing or receiving data.
For example, in the IEEE 1394 currently developed as a digital interface for transferring digital video data and audio data, it is decided to add identification information showing the type of data to the head of the data based on the MPEG method or DV method when transmitting the data.
Thereby, it is possible to mix digital video data and audio data generated through a plurality of different encoding methods on one communication medium and the reception side can properly decode received video data and audio data by confirming the identification information.
However, to correspond to a plurality of types of encoding methods, circuits or software for executing the respective processings must be previously prepared.
Therefore, there is a problem that, to correspond to many encoding methods, decoding circuits or programs equal to the number of encoding methods must be prepared.
Moreover, there is a problem that it is impossible to correspond to a new encoding method that is not previously prepared.
The MPEG and DV use picture encoding (compression) methods different from each other. Therefore, there is no compatibility between the data encoded by the MPEG and the data encoded by the DV.
However, the arts used for encoding include many common portions. For example, the above both methods use DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) and variable-length encoding.
Thus, a plurality of picture encoding methods are present and most encoding methods include many common processings though the processings are not completely the same.
A unit controller for controlling these data reception/transmission and operations may display transmitter and receiver or substance of data on GUI of the unit controller through icons. Also in this case, it is possible to distinguish between types of units or types of data and thereby display an icon by using the identification information for types of units or types of data.
However, to correspond to a plurality of types of units or types of data, there are problems that each icon must be previously prepared and moreover, each icon must correspond to each type of unit or each type of data.
Moreover, there is a problem that it is impossible to correspond to a new type of unit or data that is not previously prepared.
Furthermore, when displaying the substance of data with an icon, in order to use icons related to the contents of data, it is necessary to once read data, a unit controller must generate an icon, and it is necessary to separately store the icon.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above conventional problems, the present invention provides a data transmitter, a data receiver, and a medium capable of corresponding to a plurality of encoding methods and moreover, new encoding methods by transmitting a decoding method together with encoded video data and audio data.
Moreover, to solve the above conventional problems, the present invention provides a data transmitter, a processor, a unit controller, a unit control system, data transmission/reception system, and a medium making it possible to display a plurality of types of units and types of data and moreover, icons related to the contents of data by providing the image data used to visually display units or data like icons for each unit connected by a communication medium instead of providing the data for each unit for displaying a screen.
One aspect of the of the present invention (corresponding to claim
1
) is a data transmitter comprising:
transmission means for transmitting at least either of encoded video data and encoded audio data to a data receiver;
a processing-command list for holding a processing procedure common to said data receiver; and
decoding-method generation means for expressing a method for decoding at least either of said encoded video data and encoded audio data by the sequence of said processing procedure and processing parameters included in said processing-command list and outputting the method as a decoding method, wherein
said transmission means transmits at least either of said encoded video data and encoded audio data and moreover, transmits said decoding method.
According to the above structure, for example, the data transmitter can transmit encoded video data and encoded audio data together with a method for decoding these types of data. Therefore, a data receiver can properly decode received video data and audio data.
Another aspect of the present invention (corresponding to claim
5
) is a data transmitter comprising:
transmission means for transmitting at least either of encoded video data and encoded audio data to a data receiver;
request reception means for receiving an inquiry about the method for decoding at least either of said encoded video data and encoded audio data, making a predetermined decision, and thereafter outputting a decoding-method transmission command in accordance with the decision result;
a processing-command list for holding a processing procedure common to said data receiver; and
decoding-method generation means for expressing a method for decoding at least either of said encoded video data and encoded audio data by the sequence of said processing procedure and processing parameters included in said processing-command list when obtaining the output of said decoding-method transmission command and outputting the method as a decoding method; wherein
said transmission means transmits at least either of said encoded video data and encoded audio data and moreover, transmits said decoding method.
According to the above structure, for example, the data transmitter can transmit encoded video data and encoded audio data together with a method for decoding these data. Particularly, because the decoding method is transmitted in accordance with the request from a receiver, the data transmitter can make a predetermined decision on the transmission of the decoding method and moreover, it is possible to realize the usage of changing encoding methods for concealment or accounting. Moreover, as described above, a data receiver can properly decode received video data and audio data.
Still another aspect of the present invention (corresponding to claim
7
) is a data receiver comprising:
reception means for receiving at least either of encoded video data and encoded audio data and a decoding method from a data transmitter;
a processing-procedure
Iketani Akira
Kobayashi Masa-aki
Takeda Hidetoshi
Usui Akira
Yamada Masazumi
Bella Matthew C.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
RatnerPrestia
Sajous Wesner
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